Pop Quiz: Mark Kozelek

Aidin Vaziri | Mark Kozelek unloads some 5,000-plus words of lyrics on the new Sun Kil Moon album, “Benji,” revealing all kinds of intimate details about his life over plaintive guitar strumming. The San Francisco singer-songwriter, who started out as the front man for Red House Painters, is known for his confessional lyrics. But here we learn about the state of his prostate, the aerosol-can-related deaths of two family members and how he likes to take dates to Red Lobster. Kozelek performs Saturday at the Great American Music Hall, as part of the Noise Pop Festival.

Q:What are five words you would use to describe the new album?

A: Reflecting on life at 47.

Q:It sounds like you went through an especially rough year. Was that really the case, or have you just started thinking more about mortality?

A: Getting news that my second cousin passed in a fire accident last year was very hard and continues to be – she had two kids. And a close friend of my father’s was sentenced for murder in a controversial case, so a few unusual things happened last year.

Q:Your writing seems much more stream-of-consciousness these days. Do songs come more naturally now?

A: Much more naturally. Far less work. Less metaphors – those are a pain in the ass.